Kurtenbach: Grading the 49ers’ Day 2 picks — a couple of head-scratchers and a home run
In a legitimately absurd draft, the Niners filled three needs in rather unconventional ways.
Sports Columnists
Kurtenbach: The 49ers bailed on the first round. It was the smart move
San Francisco 49ers: Why pay first-round prices for second-round talent?
49ers mock draft — first-round fortune, late-round trade
The Niners don't have big needs in the 2026 NFL Draft, but that doesn't mean...
Kurtenbach: Cutting through the NFL Draft smog — 3 prospects to buy and 3 to sell
Between coaching malpractice and fake hype, these are six players the draft machine has backwards.
The 49ers can go any way they want in the NFL Draft. It’s a great position
The Niners aren't chasing needs in this draft, and that means every mock draft you've...
Kurtenbach: An empty tank and a looming void — What comes next for Curry, Kerr and the Warriors?
The season is over for the Warriors; will there be a next season for Steve...
Embrace the black hat — the SF Giants might have found an identity in their churlish series with Reds
Tony Vitello's team showed some fight in Cincinnati. It suits them. Now, can they carry...
Kurtenbach: Steph Curry and Draymond Green emptied the tank. Now, it’s the Unicorn’s turn to take over.
The Phoenix Suns have no answer for a spry Kristaps Porzingis, and that gives the...
Kurtenbach: The game shouldn’t have mattered. Steph Curry, Draymond Green delivered a beautiful, defiant display of greatness anyway
Steph Curry's 35 points and Draymond Green's defensive masterclass took down a red-hot Clippers team...
With the Warriors’ season on the brink, their stars are on a stopwatch
Steph Curry is on a minutes restriction, so the Dubs will be leaning on Brandin...
Kurtenbach: The Warriors’ regular season is mercifully over. Hopefully the real end comes this week
Golden State Warriors: The Dubs ended the season 37-45 — a record that seems to...
Kurtenbach: The Sharks’ season is over because they failed the three tests of playoff hockey
Macklin Celebrini's team is heading towards an offseason where optimism will be mixed with urgency.
Kurtenbach: The SF Giants have signs of life, but we’re still a ways away from understanding this team
Tony Vitello's team runs hot and cold. A nine-game road trip is an opportunity for...
Kurtenbach: In Steph Curry’s euphoric return, only eight minutes really mattered
Steph Curry's return to action was brilliant, but how he played with Kristaps Porziņģis was...
Kurtenbach: 3 up, 3 down as the SF Giants win series in San Diego
San Francisco: The case against Casey Schmitt at first and for Keaton Winn in the...
Kurtenbach: The Warriors’ biggest problem is one even Curry can’t outrun
Steph Curry returned to practice, but the Dubs have probably already run out of time.
Kurtenbach: From Sleepy Bob to Spectator Tony — Vitello’s mark yet to be seen on 2026 SF Giants
There wasn't much to manage as the Giants were swept by the Yankees to open...
The SF Giants' 2026 first impression? Doing everything we hated in 2025
Bad hitting, bad defense? The 2026 SF Giants sure looked like the same-old club on...
Kurtenbach: MLB’s SF Giants-Yankees Opening Night Netflix cash-grab proves nothing is sacred in modern sports
The first game of the season was turned into a huge infomercial for the streaming...
Kurtenbach: It’s Year 2 of Buster’s bold SF Giants experiment. The Bay really needs it to work
San Francisco Giants: With the Warriors, Sharks swooning, can Buster's Boys hold down the Bay...
Moses Moody's cruel injury proves it — the Warriors' season is truly cursed
The message from the basketball gods couldn't be louder.
Kurtenbach: The Sharks — and head coach Ryan Warsofsky — are on tilt. Do they have one more bounce-back in them?
San Jose Sharks: The baby Sharks have lost 12 of their last 17 and are...
Kurtenbach: The SF Giants’ 2026 season is a grand experiment in spirit over talent. It might just work.
The Giants' 2026 season is a grand experiment in spirit over talent. It might just...
Kurtenbach: This is the SF Giants’ year to make a move — one way or another
The Giants have been selling competency as contention over the last several years. They've gotten...
The Warriors have the right pieces for next season. The NBA has other plans
The Dubs' future would be fairly bright, if not for the NBA's vindictive rules.
The best way to enjoy March Madness? Ditch the bracket
March Madness is an elite sporting spectacle. Don't ruin it with half-hearted bracket bets.
Kurtenbach: Don’t get cute — Bryce Eldridge belongs on the SF Giants’ Opening Day roster
Tony Vitello’s first big test? Telling the Giants’ front office to ditch the spreadsheets
Kurtenbach: This Warriors season looks irredeemable. Why not embrace it?
Golden State Warriors: The Steph Curry-less Duds were just embarrassed by two tanking teams. There’s...
Kurtenbach: Desperation or genius? The 49ers go all-in on Mike Evans
San Francisco 49ers: Mike Evans could be exactly what the Niners need in their offense....
Kurtenbach: The 49ers have a path to the top of the NFC. Will they take it?
San Francisco 49ers: The Niners effectively sat out free agency in 2025. That's not an...
Kurtenbach: Death, taxes, and Draymond Green against the Rockets. But is there enough spite to go around?
Draymond Green’s spite-fueled masterclass was a thrilling, but aggravating, sign for the Dubs.
Kurtenbach: There's so much going right for the Giants. Then there's the bullpen.
For a team that looks poised to play a lot of tight games, the Giants'...
Kurtenbach: Tomorrow starts today — locking up Sherwood marks the official end of the Sharks’ rebuild
Kiefer Sherwood extended for five years, $28.75 million.
Kurtenbach: Did the Warriors make a mistake in trading Jonathan Kuminga?
Jonathan Kuminga is averaging 21 points per game for the Atlanta Hawks.
Kurtenbach: Divorced dad vibes and palpable ennui — there’s a weird energy to Warriors-Lakers
The NBA's showcase game between the Steph Curry-free Warriors and the we-don't-want-to-be-here Lakers is going...
Kurtenbach: The San Jose Sharks are finally acting their age
San Jose Sharks: The Teal's fifth-straight loss might change the focus from short to long-term.
Kurtenbach: Mock this — I’m planting a flag on who the 49ers should draft in the first round
This under-the-radar prospect is exactly who the Niners need in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Kurtenbach: The 49ers’ Trent Williams problem has only one right answer
The Niners and their left tackle are in another contract standoff. This should end the...
Kurtenbach: Brandin Podziemski cracked the code vs. Denver. Will he remember the combination?
Brandin Podziemski's brilliant fourth quarter against Denver showed that he's at his best in a...
Kurtenbach: USA men’s hockey’s ugly, glorious 2026 gold is just the beginning
Team USA won gold in men's hockey for the first time since 1980 with a...
Kurtenbach: Too good to tank, too bad to matter — the Warriors are trapped in purgatory
Without Steph Curry for at least four more games, the dream of the real playoffs...
The NFL always gets even. The 49ers will pay the toll in 2026
The Niners are estimated to travel more than any team in NFL history for the...
Kurtenbach: The NBA’s race to the bottom is lift the Warriors need
The NBA's low-down dirtiest tankers have something in common — they play the Dubs down...
Kurtenbach: Yes, SF Giants fans should be angry — they’re being gaslit
The Giants bring in absurd revenue. So why are they pushing a policy of fiscal...
Kurtenbach: Does SF Giants manager Tony Vitello actually want to be here?
The Giants manager's strange Monday presser opened up big questions that shouldn't be asked in...
Kurtenbach: The 49ers’ 2026 offseason isn’t just pivotal — it’s existential
San Francisco 49ers: To beat the Rams and Seahawks, the Niners need to ditch idealism...
Kurtenbach: The Warriors are winging it, and that’s for the best
The Dubs head into the break with everything to play for and nothing to lose.
Kurtenbach: SF Giants baseball is back and I have one simple request
The Giants enter the 2026 season with a universal projection of mediocrity.
Kurtenbach: The Dan Marino Trap is real, and it just ensnared Drake Maye
Super Bowl LX: The narrative out of the Patriots' loss was "we'll be back." NFL...
The Bay Area had a winning Super Bowl performance. But so did the Seahawks
A week of worthy celebration was marred by the 49ers' top rivals winning a Super...
Kurtenbach: In the land of disruption, the NFL offers a fittingly chaotic Super Bowl
The Bay Area is all about reinvention. The Patriots and Seahawks embody the spirit.
The Warriors aimed for a star at the trade deadline. They hit the ceiling
The Warriors improved at the trade deadline. Barely.
Kurtenbach: My Super Bowl prediction — 49ers fans probably won’t like it
I don't expect much of a game.
Kurtenbach: What the Warriors need to sell by the NBA trade deadline
Another lifeless loss shows just how far Steph Curry's current running mates are from the...
There's one thing the Warriors cannot afford to do at the NBA trade deadline
The Dubs are focusing their efforts on landing Giannis Antetokounmpo. What happens if that plan...
Kurtenbach: The SF Giants’ offseason strategy? Buying plausible deniability
Luis Arraez is the kind of signing that doesn't align with the modern game or...
Kurtenbach: The 49ers lucked out in landing Raheem Morris as defensive coordinator
Raheem Morris is coming to San Francisco in a move that could pay dividends for...
The big thing everyone seems to ignore in the Giannis-Warriors trade conversation
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday.
Kurtenbach: Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Warriors? Golden State looks light years away
Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly available for trade. The Dubs don't have what it takes to...
Nightmare at Levi’s: Seahawks-Patriots is a worst-case scenario Super Bowl for the 49ers
The Niners can't win with the Seahawks facing the Patriots in the Super Bowl at...
Kurtenbach: Fast goals, free tacos, and total euphoria — the Sharks are the best show in town
Macklin Celebrini's team isn't asking for permission to make the NHL playoffs. Typical teenagers.
Why hiring Gus Bradley would be a lazy choice for the 49ers
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers look poised to make Gus Bradley their fifth defensive coordinator...
Empty calories, thunderous dunks — the Warriors, Kuminga embrace the art of losing
Jonathan Kuminga played well in his first action in weeks. The Warriors lost big.
One bad Jimmy Butler step has thrown everything into question for the Warriors
Jimmy Butler's right knee injury could be a pivotal moment in the final stages of...
The Sharks bet on fun, the present in Kiefer Sherwood trade
San Jose Sharks: After years of slow, methodical, prudent rebuilding, the Sharks are living a...
Kurtenbach: To answer their 31-year question, the 49ers need to narrow their focus
If the Niners want to win the Super Bowl, they need to look regionally.
Kurtenbach: The 49ers’ carpet ride hit a wall in Seattle. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t magic
San Francisco 49ers 6 - Seattle Seahawks 41: The Niners were pulverized in the NFC...
Studs and Duds: No studs to be found as 49ers season ends with a Seattle stomping
San Francisco 49ers 6 - Seattle Seahawks 41: The 49ers gave up a touchdown on...
Kurtenbach: My 49ers-Seahawks (part 3) prediction
Who wins the third matchup between these NFC West rivals? Our columnist has the script.
Kurtenbach: For the 49ers and Seahawks, familiarity only breeds confusion
San Francisco 49ers - Seattle Seahawks: There will be no secrets in the NFC Divisional...
Warriors' time on Kuminga decision is up. Their options are less than appealing
Jonathan Kuminga can be traded beginning Thursday. What will the Warriors do?
Kurtenbach: January football is different. No team knows that better than the 49ers
The Niners' win over the Eagles was a lesson on what it takes to survive...
The zombie 49ers keep marching after a stubborn, improbable playoff win
The 49ers' season should have ended long ago. Yet they are two wins from the...
Studs and Duds: The next-man-up 49ers beat the Eagles with depth early, stars late
Demarcus Robinson and Eric Kendricks led the Niners to an upset playoff win.
Kurtenbach: My 49ers-Eagles prediction — Are we sure this is playoff football?
San Francisco 49ers: The Niners' showdown with the Eagles might set playoff football back 10...
Kurtenbach: The 49ers have a Sun Devil of a problem going into the playoffs
Ricky Pearsall was absent from practice on Wednesday. That looms large over the Niners' showdown...
Macklin Celebrini refuses to lose, and it could make the Sharks teenager the NHL’s MVP
Macklin Celebrini's game-winning push against the Kings was yet another testament to his precocious greatness.
Kurtenbach: The 49ers offense was knocked down. This is how they get back up again
Seattle's defense is a unicorn. The rest of the NFC, including the Eagles can't match...
A statistical analysis of the 49ers' strange, stupefying and successful 2025 regular season
Still having a hard time making sense of the Niners' regular season? These numbers may...
49ers' dud vs. Seahawks means they must go 'hard way' in NFL playoffs
To reach the Super Bowl, the Niners will likely have to win three road games...
Studs and Duds: 49ers offense, Purdy faceplant as Seattle dominates NFC West title game
The Niners were dominated in the biggest regular-season game in Levi's Stadium history.
Kurtenbach: 49ers-Seahawks will be perfectly imperfect. My predictions for the game of the year
The Niners' Week 18 contest against the Seahawks is the biggest regular-season game in Levi's...
Why 2026 promises to be a massive year in Bay Area sports
The 2026 Bay Area sports calendar is chock full of the good stuff.
Kurtenbach: The Sharks are biting again; that puts GM Mike Grier in a tricky spot
Macklin Celebrini and the young Sharks' playoff push has forced the front office to make...
Christian McCaffrey is treated like a rental car. He’s never looked better.
Christian McCaffrey has 46 more touches than anyone else in the NFL.
Kurtenbach: These unbelievable 49ers might just be a team of destiny
The universe has made it abundantly clear that it doesn't want the Niners to win...
Studs and Duds: Near-perfect Brock Purdy, unstoppable Christian McCaffrey lift 49ers over Bears
San Francisco 49ers 42, Chicago Bears 38: Niners offense cannot be stopped, as Purdy and...
Kurtenbach: The playoffs start early with 49ers – Bears. My three predictions
Can the Niners run their winning streak to six — and set up a battle...
Kurtenbach: The Warriors think they’re back. We’ll see how long that lasts
The Dubs have a settled rotation and a three-game winning streak.
Kurtenbach: Klay Thompson is back in the Bay. The Warriors should make that permanent.
he Dubs want to trade Jonathan Kuminga. Why not use him to bring back a...
Kurtenbach: 49ers' Dee Winters heard Philip Rivers' play call. Then he ended the game.
Dee Winters listened and ended an otherwise questionable Niners' defensive performance with a 74-yard interception...
Studs and Duds: Brock Purdy’s exceptional day carries the Niners to a shootout win over Colts
Purdy is the first Niners quarterback to throw five touchdown passes in a game since...
Kurtenbach: Did anyone actually watch Philip Rivers play? My 49ers-Colts prediction
If the Niners cannot handle the Colts' high-school offense, it's a disqualifying event.
Kurtenbach: It’s impossible to hype Sharks star Macklin Celebrini enough. But I’ll keep trying
Down both his wingers, Macklin Celebrini turned in a four-point performance to lead the Sharks...
Kurtenbach: If Steph Curry can’t save the Warriors, we’re truly in the final days
Steph Curry scored 87 points in his first two games back. The Warriors went 0-2.
Kurtenbach: Trent Williams has a fantasy. The 49ers need to make it a reality
San Francisco 49ers: Trent Williams is one of the greatest offensive football players of all...
Kurtenbach: Brock Purdy has the 49ers’ offense dancing before the ‘big dance’
The 49ers are a flawed team, but their offense might be great enough to make...
Studs and Duds: Purdy dazzles, Pearsall dominates in 49ers’ win over Titans
Brock Purdy throws for 295 yards, three touchdowns in a Niners win.
Kurtenbach: For Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini, the ‘C’ isn’t silent
The Sharks were down 5-1 in the third period to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then Macklin...
Kurtenbach: Titans QB Cam Ward has the goods, but expect the 49ers to win anyway
Can the Niners take care of business for a fourth-straight game?